Clematis patens Ice Crystal

Clematis 'Ice Crystal' lives up to its name with its large pastel flowers with incredibly bright steel-blue reflections. Its flowers bloom in spring, ranging from a simple corolla to a double flower adorned with a central pompom. All forms coexist on the plant. The late summer flowering will only produce single flowers. With its modest growth, this small climber is ready to make its entrance in all gardens, as well as in a large pot on patios and balconies.

Clematis belong to the Ranunculaceae family. They can be found in Europe, the Himalayas, China, Australia, and North and Central America. The 'Ice Crystal' variety, obtained in 2011 in Denmark, is a perfectly perennial, semi-woody and climbing plant, which will reach a height of about 2.5m (8ft), with a spread of 1m (3ft). This clematis bears large flowers with a unique shape, measuring 12 to 14cm (5 to 6in) in diameter. They appear on the previous year's shoots in May-June, and then on the current year's shoots in August-September, depending on the climate. The flowers are solitary and have pointed undulate-edged tepals. The flowers can be single, semi-double, or double. The double flowers have multiple stamens transformed into small petals that open slowly. Each petal is pale-mauve and almost white in the centre, with a touch of pale blue and grey. The reverse of the petals is silver-white. The centre of the flowers is adorned with a beautiful crown of pale-yellow stamens. The flowering is followed by decorative silvery-grey feathery fruits that persist until winter. The glabrous leaves are divided into 3 elliptical to lanceolate leaflets, which are dark green in colour. This clematis firmly clings to its support or host plant through petioles transformed into tendrils.

Plant Clematis 'Ice Crystal' alongside climbing or rambling roses ('New Dawn', 'Mme Caroline Testout', 'Zéphirine Drouhin') to extend the flowering period of your walls and pergolas until the end of summer. Clematis represents a genus rich in diversity, with varieties available in all colours, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of their easy cultivation to give your garden a romantic and bohemian touch. 'Ice Crystal' will pair well with the blue flowers of C. 'Hudson River', the purple flowers of C. 'Romantika', or the white flowers of C. 'Superba' or C. 'Miss Bateman', for example. They can climb a fence or cover a wall exposed to the morning sun. Sweet peas also complement smaller clematis varieties, adding fragrance to their blooms.

Avoid excessive applications of fertiliser that stimulate foliage growth at the expense of flowers. Do not mulch in order to avoid excessive moisture.